This book focuses on protagonist Ed Kennedy, a young guy who is a rather low-achiever. He and his friends don’t do much mostly just hang around playing cards. However, this changes for Ed when he gets a playing card with three addresses written on it in the mail. He is drawn to the three homes, and soon enough realizes what needs to be done there. Soon after he has visited the third house, he gets another card in the mail, this time a different suit. He deduces that each thing written on the card is connected to a person (or people) who need his help. Every mission is unique in its own way and encourages Ed to become bigger than he was before. Things get especially climatic when the names on the cards are those of his best friends. Will Ed be able to save them too? (I feel so dramatic.)
As you have probably realized, this is the same author who wrote The Book Thief. The style in this story is also very unique. When I imagined the setting in my head it was always with like a sepia colored filter over it. Markus Zusak also has a strange way of making nouns that aren’t tangible seem like they can be touched and messed around with, which is very a interesting thing to notice when reading I Am The Messenger.
This book is definitely about character growth and development because Ed at the beginning of the book is very different than Ed at the end of the book. He becomes a better person, and in that way, the book is rather inspiring. However, some of Ed’s missions are very morbid and creepy. Violence also occurs at times. I feel like people who are drawn to realistic fiction but are not too easily scared and people who liked The Book Thief would enjoy this book.